Affordability is defined as the initial system entry price. While many vendors highlight a low cost per TB, the reality is that some vendors require an initial purchase of several TBs and/or control units which increases the initial system cost.
Scalability is defined here as the ability to seamlessly add storage nodes in a clustered environment. Arrays allow storage blocks to be added within the form factor, but these are not consider true scalability.
While the simple array has offered low per/TB cost, its scalability is constrained to its form factor. Customers must buy storage in excess of their current needs and scale only to the point that the form factor allows. That solution has proved insufficient as storage needs grow exponentially.
To that end, solutions that attempt to turn arrays into simulated “cluster” or “grid” systems have entered the market. Some use software to turn hardware into clusters. Others use control units to manage arrays. As the chart highlights, price and scalability go hand-in-hand. The less scalability there is, the cheaper the entry price. Greater scalability adds complexity, and thus increases entry price and the cost to scale incrementally from your initial purchase.
Scale Computing is addressing this gap. With Scale's TrueCluster, price is no longer an issue. Enterprise-class features and scalability are now achievable at an entry price comparable to simple arrays.
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